A story of mobility – Khaled Maatallah

A story of mobility
By
Khaled Maatallah
Country of origin: France
Destination Country: Northern Ireland
To start with, I truly believe “mobility” is the single fantastic thing that one has to experience whenever possible. From a personal perspective it brings wealth of spirit, understanding and open-mindedness. And as far as European Mobility Projects are concerned (e.g. Erasmus / Leonardo) I also think it really achieves the objective of raising a European citizenship; I have friends all over Europe and I feel concerned by what’s happening in their countries as they do about mine.
Before going any further, a quick look back… I have been on the move for the last 5 years and I discovered myself fascinated by mobility, travelling, experiencing new social and professional environments. Many school and family trips around Europe since my young age, but my true first experience was an internship in the UK (London & New Romney). I then went back to the UK (Leeds) to complete a Bachelor in the frame of a double diploma curriculum. Next I flew over to Argentina for an internship before getting back to France to finish my Masters in International Business & Marketing.
Finishing my studies, I was looking for the famous first job… when I came across the Leonardo Da Vinci programme. The grant covered accommodation, English classes and a work placement. That was more than enough to get me on the move again. But this time, having the “mobility experience” I had, I wanted to make the most of this opportunity and to use it efficiently. So two things I was looking for: the personal experience and the professional experience. I had them both! I moved to Derry, Northern Ireland, a nice “wee” city with a rich history, in a nice “wee” region rich of its people, nature and landscapes. For three months I worked for a Language school (NW Academy of English) in the marketing department. My work there was just in line with my professional objectives and project.
This Leonardo experience is the last chapter of my mobility book so far, it has been an important benchmark that will help me write the next chapters of this book hopefully…